


Rendezvous of Angels

by victry (paroxysmalirony)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst and Humor, Doctor Who References, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8558992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paroxysmalirony/pseuds/victry
Summary: “Who is he?” Jisoo asks, his finger pointing at Mingyu square in the chest.“The Doctor,” Mingyu smiles.Jeonghan can’t help but roll his eyes.“Call him Mingyu.”





	1. A Study in Milk

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all!  
> So instead of taking on a new project, I decided to improve this one since I wasn't really happy with the way it was written before. Don't worry, the story is the same!! It's just less horrible than before!  
> Enjoy :)

In all honesty, Jeonghan doesn’t mind keeping to himself.

He has no reservations about spending a Friday night indoors with his fingers rythmically running through a sleepy Seungcheol’s hair. And while the romantic comedy softly playing on the television in the background may not be the greatest (in fact, it’s quite horrible…), he doesn’t pause his movements to turn it off. The picture of the two alone in Seungcheol’s living room is a serene one: low key, just the way he likes it. Just him and the man that may or may not be the absolute love of his life.

Jeonghan sighs in content, giving into the moment as he pauses his trance-like movements to turn off the television. For the first time that night, Seungcheol stirs in his lap, nuzzling his head into Jeonghan’s stomach.

“What are you doing?” he mumbles tiredly, his voice muffled by the fabric of Jeonghan’s sweater.

“Going to sleep,” he answers quietly. It’s with an affectionate glance that he ruffles his boyfriend’s hair. “Come on, let’s go.”

But Seungcheol is not one to be swayed so easily when it comes to lazing around.  He pouts, lower lip jutting out in protest.

“Why can’t we just stay here?”

“Because there’s a fully functioning bed in the other room,” Jeonghan explains, tugging on Seuncheol’s extended hands. “You won’t regret it.”

Seungcheol tilts his head to the side and Jeonghan can almost see a light go on in his boyfriend’s head.

“Carry me,” he grins devilishly, to which Jeonghan rolls his eyes.

“You’re funny,” Jeonghan deadpans, but he helps Seungcheol up nonetheless.

The pair slowly begin to walk toward the bedroom at the end of the hallway. In the nook of Jeonghan’s neck rests Seungcheol’s head as their hands swing back and forth.

“You know something, Jeonghannie?”

Jeonghan hums in response, his empty hand reaching out to open the bedroom door.

“I think I wanna marry you.”

At the sudden declaration, a flustered Jeonghan’s hand stills above the doorknob. He can even hear his breath hitch in his ears.

“Could you repeat that?” he asks nervously, turning to face his boyfriend, who looks completely unbothered.

“I said,” Seungcheol laughs, his mouth ghosting at the base of Jeonghan’s neck, successfully sending a wave of chills down his spine. “I think I wanna marry you.”

“Damn,” Jeonghan snorts, eyeing Seungcheol curiously. “You must be real tired.”

For a moment, the air is serious, Seungcheol having pulled away from Jeonghan’s neck. He shakes his head, eyes trailing to their joint hands.

“No, I’m sure,” he smiles, giving Jeonghan’s slim hand a small squeeze. “You’ll see.”

At that, Seungcheol pulls away completely with a knowing smile that leaves Jeonghan both flustered and speechless. The latter watches as the former opens the bedroom door, leading the way to his unmade double bed before flopping onto its plush surface with a _plop_.

And before Jeonghan has even completed the short journey to the bed, Seungcheol is out like a light, for there is no response from the boy whatsoever as he tucks him into his favourite navy blue sheets.

By the time that Jeonghan is ready to join him join him at last, close his eyes, and attempt to sleep a dream-filled sleep, he finds that the universe has something completely opposite in store for him.

One moment, the room is bathed in darkness, save for the distant glow of the streetlight outside Seungcheol’s bedroom window. In the moments that follow, what used to be a simple orange glow bleeding through his boyfriend’s sheer sheets gradually becomes what Jeonghan is sure will cause his impending blindness.

He lets out a sound of confusion as the light turns into a pulsating shade of pure white. Jeonghan freezes when the sound that follows makes itself known. It's irritating, comparable to that of an incredibly out of tune viola after years and years of disuse.

“Um, Cheol…” he starts, shifting in bed to steal a glance at his slumbering boyfriend. “Seungcheol!”

The boy, dead to the world, doesn't even stir.

Jeonghan curses under his breath as he hoists himself out of bed. As shaken up as he feels about the unidentifiable display of light just meters away from him, he's careful not to wake Seungcheol.

He slowly pads towards the window, floorboards creaking beneath his weight despite his efforts to make his journey a quiet one. And it's with a steady hand, courtesy of his several years of violin playing, that he pulls apart the sheer curtains.

He peers through the open sliver of fabric, though no matter how hard he looks, the blinding light’s source is still unknown to him.

But, for reasons unknown to him, he waits, his hand gripping at the windows base in anticipation for just about _anything_ that would successfully unveil the light source.

Eventually, the pulsing light comes to an end, as do the sounds. And the room is bathed in silence once more. Though it doesn’t sit well with Jeonghan.

He has seen enough movies in his youth that suggest the worst has yet to come.

Jeonghan slowly begins to back away from the window. His back is almost completely turned when he hears it: the thud of a hand as it lands on the glass surface, fingers spread.

The shriek he lets out is piercing and rips through his vocal cords as he lets go of the curtains and shuffles away from the window at once.

“What the hell…” he heaves, throat scratched.

Jeonghan can see the hand rearing back into a closed fist before landing on the window’s surface once more. Its owner knocks rapidly, knuckles repeatedly rising and falling against the glass.

Jeonghan believes that in any normal circumstance (not that the situation itself is normal to begin with), he would have been angry. However, the student finds himself frozen in place, his mind working faster than his body ever could in its attempts to figure out who the hell this person might be.

Seungcheol’s roommate Junhui comes to mind as the rapping continues, though he rules him off just as quick. As scatterbrained as the chinese student may be, he would at least have the decency to call _before_ assaulting Seungcheol’s window.

“Junhui, if it’s you…”

The empty threat leaves Jeonghan’s lips as he eyes the silhouette beneath the curtains.

Jeonghan can hear Seungcheol shift on the bed, his groggy voice calling out his name.

“Did you say something,” he asks, sitting up in bed.

“No, I just…” Jeonghan trails off, eyes wide on the retreating figure.

“Just?” Seungcheol questions, scratching the back of his head.

The desire to protest in Jeonghan is strong as he watches his boyfriend clumsily hop off his bed and hobble towards the window.

“It could be Junhui,” he mumbles quietly.

“Who else would it be?” Seungcheol chuckles, peering into the window.

Jeonghan only shakes his head in response.

“What,” Seungcheol starts, peeling back the curtain. “Do you think we should call the cops?”

Jeonghan opens his mouth to answer when, out of nowhere, the figure reappears at the window. This time, it’s clear as day. Jeonghan can make out its features from where he sits at the edge of the queen-sized mattress, hand clasped over his mouth to stop the scream that threatens to escape his lips.

“No!” its voice exclaims, words muffled by the glass that separates them. Though it’s not enough to mask the evident English accent lacing the words that follow. “Absolutely not! You will _not_ call the police.”

Seungcheol lets out a whimper that would have otherwise been adorable.

“What the hell?” he barks turning to Jeonghan. “What the _actual_ hell, Jeonghan? _What the fuck_?”

“Language,” the visitor says, with a light chuckle. “But, in all seriousness. I am in dire need of assistance.”

Seungcheol turns to Jeonghan with his hand held out.

“Phone. _Now,_ ” he orders, wiggling his fingers.

And Jeonghan complies, swiftly pulling the device out of his sweat pants. Seungcheol promptly plucks it out of his hand and begins to dial the emergency response number when the figure conjures a complicated device and points it at him. It whizzes quietly and unlike anything Jeonghan had ever heard.

The phone shuts off.

“Cheol,” Jeonghan warns, approaching him. “Get away from the window.”

“No, please,” the visitor yelps, pressing their face against the window. “I just need help. My mode of transportation is malfunctioning, and-”

“Call an uber, asshole!” Jeonghan scoffs, promptly steering Seungcheol _away_ from the window and imminent danger.

The visitor lets out a cry of desperation.

“ _What does that even mean?_ ”

But Jeonghan doesn’t answer. Instead, he drags Seungcheol out of the bedroom to seek refuge in the bathroom across the hallway. He makes sure to lock the door behind them as they enter the cramped space.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Jeonghan asks, hands tightly gripping onto Seungcheol’s out of fear, as he backs into the faux marble counter.

Seungcheol uses his free hand to brandish Jeonghan’s unresponsive iPhone.

“Your phone isn’t working anymore…” he mutters in frustration, repeatedly pressing onto the home button to no avail.

Jeonghan lets out a shaky breath of air, eyeing the device with a raised brow. No matter how much he tries, he finds himself unable to determine just what had caused it to shut off apart from, well. the occult.

“I don’t know whether to take it to the Genius bar or a priest.”

“You think it’s witchcraft?”

“Well, what else could it be?”

“ _Science!_ ”

The couple stills before pulling each other close.  Though this time, the voice is coming from the small window above the ceramic toilet tucked in the bathroom’s corner.

“This,” the visitor explains, his silhouette waving the cylindrical device before their eyes. “Is a sonic screwdriver. It uses sound waves, wavelengths, radiation, and a whole other ton of scientific rubbish that I’m sure the two of you would rather not hear to do a whole other lot of scientific rubbish! Now,” they huff, voice agitated and pleading. “Could you _please_ give me a boost?”

Jeonghan is unabashedly unconvinced and is prepared to protest, unlike Seungcheol, who looks to him with a puppy dog look in his eyes. And sure, it warms his heart, but not enough to shake off the feeling that their unusual visitor could very well be an insane serial killer of sorts, waiting for the most opportune moment to end both their lives.

“No,” is all Jeonghan eventually says with a shake of his head.

“But…” Seungcheol counters, bringing a finger up to poke his cheek. Jeonghan is very well aware of this tactic often used to get him to sway. “What if he’s telling the truth?”

The truth is that it’s not as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Jeonghan just happens to be a strong believer in the notion of being safe over being sorry for preventable situations.

“How would we know?” he sighs, shoulders dropping. “We need to think this through.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” the voice says, nose pressed against the window. “But, I can show my credentials, and everything. I’m not _that_ dangerous.”

Jeonghan snorts, rolling his eyes. “Way to help your cause.”

“Oh, right! Let me try again.” the visitor pleads, taking notice of their mistake. They clear their throat before continuing. “I’ve come a very, _very_ long way, and my mode of transportation unexpectedly died on me. Because of that, I need the proper boost before I can start all the necessary repairs.”

“I feel bad,” Seungcheol sighs, nudging Jeonghan in the side. “I say let him in.”

“But-” Jeonghan starts, opening his mouth to protest once more only to be interrupted by his boyfriend.

“ _It doesn’t hurt to try,_ ” Seungcheol smiles before pressing a kiss into Jeonghan’s dark hair (Jeonghan really wishes he weren’t so smitten). He watches as Seungcheol turns to the window. “I’ll have my jump cables ready for you!”

“Oh,” the visitor laughs. The sound is light, and sort of like music to Jeonghan’s ears. “You won’t be needing those.”

Immediately, the couple is back to frowning at the outsider’s antics.

“Then, what-”

“See you at the front door!” The visitor _cackles_ before disappearing, leaving the two university students completely and utterly stunned.

“If we die,” Jeonghan starts, unlocking the bathroom door. His tone is even and serious. “It's on you.”

Seungcheol only ruffles his hair in response and walks out of the room in time to hear the rhythmic knocking on his front door.

Jeonghan huffs and grabs a hold of the handheld loofah that dangles from the silver shower rod. He then wastes no time pushing past his far too eager boyfriend and pulls open the front door.

The visitor, who Jeonghan can now distinguish as a tall, darker skinned man with an affinity for bow ties, waltzes in at once. His movements are fluid and grandiose as he enters the space.

“Hello, you two!” the visitor beams, arms spread in a welcoming gesture. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Seungcheol, who doesn’t seem to share the sentiment of distaste, approaches the visitor with an extended hand.

“I’m Seungcheol.”

“Ah, Seungcheol…” the man hums, sizing the boy in question up and down. “A good name. I once met a Seungcheol. It was ages ago. He was an absolute _prick_!” the visitor barks, slapping an uncomfortable Seungcheol on the shoulder. He then turns to Jeonghan. “And you are?”

“You first,” Jeonghan quips, his grip on the loofah tightening.

“Ooh, how clever of you. I like you.” he muses, wiggling his mechanical device in Jeonghan’s annoyed face. “Mingyu Kim. Kim Mingyu, The One That Got Away. The list goes on. But _you_ can call me _The Doctor_.”

“Okay, Mingyu,” Jeonghan says coolly, completely disregarding the last few names mentioned. “What do you want?”

“Huh?”

“If it's not jump cables,” he stresses, his annoyance unrelenting. “Then what is it?”

Mingyu’s eyes light up. He lightly grips Jeonghan's shoulders as he says:

“ _Strawberry milk_!”

“You're kidding,” Jeonghan blinks, peeling Mingyu’s large hands off his tense shoulders. “There's absolutely no way you’re being for real...”

The way Mingyu’s expression turns grim in the matter of seconds is enough to make Jeonghan’s stomach churn.

“Why would I joke about something so serious?” he asks. “I upgraded her fuelling system a few weeks back, or was it days? Months…?”

Mingyu pauses, his eyes staring madly into space as he ponders.

“Uh,” Seungcheol wonders, his hand raised politely. “Does it matter?”

“ _Of course it does._ ” Mingyu snaps, turning to face the boy. “It could have _everything_ to do with the malfunctioning!”

“That's _enough_ _!_ ” Jeonghan groans, tiredly plopping onto the couch. “You were saying?”

Mingyu’s eyes light up at once.

“As I was saying,” he continues. “I upgraded her fuelling system to run on food items- Gallifreyan elements have been hard to find lately- but all she seems to want is strawberry milk!”

Jeonghan frowns. “She?”

“The TARDIS, of course,” Mingyu says matter-of-factly.

“TARDIS?” Seungcheol tries, the word foreign on his tongue.

Mingyu nods.

“Exactly.”

Jeonghan lets out a tortured sound before throwing his head into a heap of couch cushions.

“This has to be a dream,” he cries out to no one in particular.

“I wish it were,” Mingyu shrugs with a defeated sigh.

“We don't have any strawberry milk, right now.” Seungcheol later calls from the kitchen, his head stuck in the fridge. “Only white milk and, uh, tea.”

“Tea?” Mingyu says with a grimace. “That will _not_ do.”

“It's matcha,” Seungcheol offers, pulling out of the fridge.

“Absolutely not!” Mingyu exclaims, throwing his hands up angrily.

“Well that's unfortunate,” Jeonghan notes sarcastically. “We don't have the _one_ thing you're looking for.”

Mingyu babbles for a moment, frustration getting the better of he and his tongue.

“There must be someone in this complex with strawberry milk,” he murmurs.

Seungcheol and Jeonghan share a knowing look, which is why they find themselves standing in the doorway belonging to none other than Jihoon Lee, Music Production major and Jisoo Hong, Philosophy major and strawberry milk enthusiast.

“We need your strawberry milk.” Jeonghan explains to a puzzled Jisoo. The latter stares up at Mingyu’s unfamiliar face in confusion.

“My milk…” he questions, scratching the back of his head. “I'm lost.”

“Trust me on this, Josh,” Jeonghan sighs, pushing his way into the house. “You're not alone.”

“Who is he?” Jisoo asks, his finger pointing at Mingyu square in the chest.

“The Doctor,” Mingyu smiles.

Jeonghan can’t help but roll his eyes.

“Call him Mingyu.”

“So,” Jisoo starts slowly, eyes not once leaving Mingyu’s oversized frame. “He’s a doctor named Mingyu with a British accent in the middle of Boston looking for strawberry milk?”

Jeonghan nods, following Mingyu into the living room. “Sounds about right.”

“Right…” Jisoo mutters, trailing off as watches Mingyu rummage through his scattered belongings.

“Do you have any?” Seungcheol asks, batting Mingyu’s hand away from Jihoon’s very expensive looking sound system.

“No,” Jisoo says, his tone grave. “You missed it. Seokmin came by and stole my last carton two hours ago.”

“ _No_ ,” Seungcheol whines, stomping his foot on the ground before falling onto the couch and a grumpy Jeonghan. The latter shoves him off.

“Hey, uh, Doctor,” Jisoo says, tapping Mingyu on the shoulder to gain his attention.

“What is it?”

“You’re out of luck,” Jeonghan smiles forcibly, pushing himself up and off the couch. “No milk here.”

Mingyu groans.

“ _Bollocks_.”

“You could always go to the corner store down the street,” Jisoo offers, fixing his windbreaker. “I was just about to go and stock up. You can come with, if you want.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have any of this country’s currency on me at the moment…” Mingyu frowns, scratching the top of his head. “But there should be some in the TARDIS.”

With that, the man bolts out of Jisoo’s apartment and into the cool night air. Jeonghan is next, though he keeps the speed of his pace to a minimum, not seeing the need for theatrics. Seungcheol and Jisoo follow, voicing their confusion with the entire situation from behind as they walk.

Outside, they come to an abrupt stop where Mingyu stands in front of a blue telephone box, a silver keychain dangling from his left hand. He pockets it and pushes the box’s door open with a smile.

“After you lot,” he says, stepping aside.

“It’s a telephone box.” Jeonghan deadpans, bringing his hands to his temples. The night keeps getting more and more ridiculous to the point where he’s even more convinced that it’s all a nightmare.

“Actually,” Mingyu corrects, with a raised finger. “It’s my TARDIS.”

“I don’t know if we’re seeing the same thing, here,” he frowns as Seungcheol steps around him and towards the blue box, Jisoo not far behind. “It’s a blue box.”

“ _Holy shit_ ,” Seungcheol gasps, backing away from its opened door.

“Okay,” Jisoo says quietly, crossing himself. “This _has_ to be witchcraft,”

“No witchcraft,” Mingyu says with a hint of a smile on his lips. “Just science.”

“What are you guys even saying?” Jeonghan laughs awkwardly, not wanting to admit that he’s a tad bit freaked out by the situation.

“Have a look,” Mingyu prompts, holding out his hand.

Slowly, Jeonghan takes it and hoists himself into the box.

“It’s bigger on the inside.” is all he says upon catching a glimpse of its interior.

Mingyu laughs again, his breath coming out in visible puffs. “I get that a lot.”

Jeonghan turns quickly to face him. “Who are you?”

“I told you,” Mingyu says calmly. “I’m The Doctor-”

“No, I know,” Jeonghan says, stopping him. “But, _who_ are you? You’re not…”

“Not from here?” Mingyu adds, his brow raised. Jeonghan nods. He can hear Seungcheol and Jisoo’s excited chatter from where he stands in the doorway. “You’re right.”

“Then where?” Jeonghan asks, his tone shaky. “Who the hell are you?”

The atmosphere changes as Jeonghan watches the man before him take a stance unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Gone is the manic stranger from earlier. For, in his place, stands a man emanating power and an air so regal, Jeonghan thinks it best to avert his gaze.

“I am The Doctor: Gallifreyan, Seventh Son of the Seventh Son, Keeper of Keys…” Mingyu announces with pride. “The last of the Time Lords.”

Jeonghan’s breathing stops for a moment. He feels faint.

“Gallifreyan?” he laughs, scanning the spacious room that surrounds him. It's filled with various knobs and machines that whir in sync with his breathing. It feels all too sentient to him. “As in?”

“Of Gallifrey.”

“You're an alien?” Seungcheol asks, his hand frozen above a vial of a bright purple liquid.

“Well, yes.”

Seungcheol scrunches his nose in confusion. “But you're not-”

“Stop right there,” Mingyu orders, hand raised defensively. “No I'm not green and my eyes aren't bulbous, but you humans look just as weird and to the rest of the universe.”

“Okay,” Jisoo moans miserably, looking around at the otherworldly equipment that surrounds him. “I need a seat.”

“There's plenty of place to sit in here,” Mingyu smiles as he looks through drawer after drawer. “Be my guest.”

Jeonghan watches him pull out a handful of colourful notes and coins. Mingyu observes them all before shoving them back into the drawer, unsatisfied.

“Where is my American money…?” he mutters to himself, running two hands through his unruly hair.

“We can always just buy you the milk ourselves.” Seungcheol pipes up with a shrug.

“And what?" Mingyu frowns. “I owe you after?”

“No,” Seungcheol assures, shaking his head. “Don't even worry about it.”

“Our treat.” Jeonghan adds, shrugging himself.

“That's preposterous!” Mingyu barks, hand slamming the drawer of money shut. “Tell you what; you buy me my milk and I take you to a destination of your choice.”

“Um, I don't know…” Jeonghan says carefully, considering the offer. “I have a concerto in a couple of days and I wouldn't want to keep you waiting.”

“Oh don't worry about that,” Mingyu declares knowingly. “We'd be back before the sun rises here in Boston.”

“Can we?” Seungcheol begs. And, much to Jeonghan’s dismay, the puppy dog eyes are back. “We could go to Jeju like you've always wanted!”

“I'm down,” Jisoo shrugs, agreeing.

So it all comes down to Jeonghan. The other three look at him in question. He suddenly feels small.

“Sure,” he sighs. “Why not?”

“You won't regret it!” Mingyu swears, holding his hand out. Jeonghan takes it and they shake hands.

It's as they walk to the corner store, Seungcheol’s hand in his, that Jeonghan finds himself hoping that Mingyu is right and that he won't regret this trip.

 _I'm trusting you, Doctor_ , he thinks to himself as they walk in silence.

“You okay?” Seungcheol asks, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

“Yeah, just thinking.” he admits, looking to his boyfriend. “It's just not what I expected my Friday night to be like, you know?”

“Hey,” Seungcheol says, stopping the two of them to turn and face Jeonghan. “At least we're doing this together, right?”

Jeonghan smiles, nodding. “Right.”

“Then that's all that matters.” Seungcheol chuckles, letting go of his hand to cup both his rosy cheeks. He presses a kiss against Jeonghan's lips before walking away, and leaving him behind flustered.

 


	2. The Doctor on the Island

Mingyu is feeding the TARDIS her fifth carton of strawberry milk, his arms elbow deep in her machinery, as he eyes the couple he picked earlier: Jeonghan and his boyfriend Seungcheol.

They remind him a bit of his last companion, Chan, and the way he'd been so enamoured with a young woman on an abandoned space stationed named Yerim that he'd begged Mingyu to take her with them. As much as he'd protested at first, he ended up agreeing. After all, Chan is one of his greatest allies in the universe to this date.

Mingyu can't lie, it's slightly infuriating.

He can tell that the other one, Jisoo, shares the sentiment. That is, if the look of utter discomfort on his face as he eyes them is anything to go by.

“This is something else,” Mingyu admits aloud, yanking his hand out of one of the TARDIS’ many fuelling cylinders. “I've never taken on a couple before. At least not like this.”

Jisoo looks up. There's a momentary look of fear that flashes in the boy's eyes.

“Huh?” Jisoo questions, pointing to himself. “You mean you’ve taken people around before? _This_ is a common occurrence?”

“Travelling is great and all,” Mingyu muses, though there is the slightest hint of sadness in his tone. “But it gets lonely.”

“How long have you been doing this? You sound like you’ve been doing this for a while…”

“Oh, it’s been _ages_.” he reveals with a laugh.

“So you must’ve seen it all,” Jisoo sparks, his eyes wide in wonder.

“Not at all,” Mingyu chuckles lightly. “The universe is _infinite_. There are galaxies after galaxies I have yet to see. I've barely scratched the surface.”

“That's insane.”

Mingyu shrugs, turning back to his things. He closes the fuelling hatch shut, his fingers soaked in bright pink milk.

He reaches for a stray rag lying on his console to dry his hands before loudly clearing his throat. The couple in the corner still, their eyes now focused on Mingyu.

“So,” he starts. “What will it be?”

“Wait, what?”

“Anywhere in time and space,” Mingyu explains, pulling out a yellowed map of galaxies explored by him drawn by Descartes himself.

How he missed his dear friend René.

“Where will it be,” he continues, brandishing the map proudly. “ _When_ will it be?”

“Cheol,” Jisoo calls from his place by Mingyu. “Didn't you say something about Jeju earlier?”

“I did,” he nods, lacing his fingers through Jeonghan's. “But that all depends on if this guy right here still wants to go.”

“What will it be, then?” Mingyu asks, tossing the map the couple’s way. Seungcheol catches it.

“Jeju does sound nice,” Jeonghan muses, his eyes narrowed pensively.

“Jeju Island it is,” Mingyu whoops, clapping his hands. “Two thousand and sixteen, I'm assuming?”

“Yeah, I don't know how I feel about this whole time travelling thing yet.” Jisoo reveals nervously.

Mingyu shrugs, fiddling with the navigation system. “Maybe some other time.”

He punches in the coordinates for Jeju island in his current dimension and looks them over twice to avoid any of his unfortunate mishaps.

“So,” Jisoo asks, gesturing towards the central console. “How does this all work?”

“Watch and learn,” is all Mingyu says as the TARDIS begins to whir, the sound of her breaks coming into gear. It's something he has yet to learn to handle, even after all these years.

The TARDIS begins to rumble as the central console comes to life, shining a soft blue light with every breath.

“It's like it's alive,” Jisoo breathes in awe.

“ _She_ is.” Mingyu corrects. “Take a look in that monitor, will you.”

The couple joins Jisoo by the console as he peers into the navigator’s monitor. He watches as they glance into the screen. It shows everything that happens in that moment, as the TARDIS rushes into a vortex of purple, green, and blueish hues.

“This is _crazy._ ” Seungcheol gasps, pointing at the bolts of bright light as they pass.

“Welcome to my world, kid.”

“Kid?” Jeonghan laughs.

“You look like a college freshman,” Seungcheol notes with a frustrated huff. He crosses his arms.

“In Korea, I would be your sunbae by about... Eight hundred and eighty years, give or take.” Mingyu explains casually. He's too distracted to even bother with adding any bite to his words.

There's a flash of messy scrawl that appears on his pad of psychic paper, though it might be nothing. Mingyu is prone to doing things and completely forgetting having done so after all. He brushes it off.

He focuses his attention on the monitor before him. The TARDIS is about to land. Mingyu pulls out the mallet that hangs from a rod at the base of his console and strikes it against the metallic surface. It's then that the whining of her breaks comes to an end.

“Quick!” he orders the trio, waving his hand absentmindedly. “What do you see?”

“I think we're here,” Jisoo says, squinting at the screen.

Mingyu straightens his jacket and abandons the console at once, heading for the TARDIS’ door. He kicks it open and revels at the sight before him.

The air in Jeju is fresh and it feels clean. So clean that Mingyu can smell the sea with the smallest intake of air. For the first time in a long time, he finds himself breathing Earthly air with little to no traces of the overwhelming pollution.

“Welcome to Jeju-do!” he cries into the open air, his hands raised.

He steps aside to allow his passengers to step down and bask in the high noon sunlight. Jisoo is first, the crucifix on his necklace falling against his chest as he hops down onto the lush green grass.

“Not bad,” he muses, squinting up at the sun. He seems to do that a lot, Mingyu notes.

“Not bad?” he hears Jeonghan ask from the doorway. The long haired boy carefully steps onto solid ground. “This is amazing. Just like my grandma described it.”

“Wow,” is all Seungcheol says as he follows his boyfriend.

“Right? Weirdly enough it's better than what I expected.”

“You like it?” Mingyu questions, pulling out his screwdriver. He aims for the sky for a more accurate read of the atmosphere.

“Love it.” Jeonghan confirms, lacing his fingers through Seungcheol’s. “You don’t mind if we go explore on our own for a bit, right?”

“Not at all,” Mingyu says, waving his empty hand towards the beach. “The day is yours.”

“Oh wait,” Seungcheol says quickly before they leave. “How are we supposed to find contact you?”

“Right!” Mingyu barks, pointing his screwdriver towards Seungcheol’s body. A phone rang from his coat pocket. “I am now a contact. Now run along.”

Seungcheol beams at him before tugging his boyfriend by the arm and leads him down the hill the TARDIS is parked on. Mingyu watches the pair make their way down to the beach beneath them before turning to a seemingly uncomfortable Jisoo.

“Is there any place you wanted to visit while we’re here?”

“I don’t know much about the place,” he shrugs. “Unlike Jeonghan, I didn’t grow up hearing stories about this place.”

“Okay, well give me a little something to work with,” Mingyu pleads. “What are you into? Apart from strawberry milk and theology.”

“Funny,” Jisoo snorts, shooting Mingyu a look. “I don't know. Aquariums?”

“Brilliant!” Mingyu sparks, as his screwdriver wails in the direction of the wanted destination. “This way.”

He begins to march down the hill, in search for the aquarium. He hears Jisoo stumble from behind him as they walk. He chuckles.

“Do my struggles entertain you?” Jisoo groans, stepping over a dip in the soil.

“I’m not going to answer that.” is all Mingyu says before he accelerates, his speed augmented by the steepness of the lush green hill.

Jisoo growls, but follows the movement nonetheless. They travel together like this all the way to the aquarium at the island’s edge. It’s linked to the remainder of the land by a busy wooden boardwalk that creaks beneath their feet as they cross.

“Wait!” Jisoo calls out of nowhere, his arm extended in front of Mingyu’s torso as a means to stop him.

“What could it possibly be this time?”

“Okay, let’s play nice,” Jisoo scoffs, adjusting his windbreaker. He points to the poster on the wall clearly listing the entry fees in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Hangul. “I was just about to say that neither of us have Korean currency on us. How do you expect to get us in.”

Mingyu chuckles, reaching into his jacket pocket for his portable pad of psychic paper. His fingers grip the worn leather as he pulls it out. “With this, of course.”

“Which is…?”

“Oh, I thought I told you…”

“You didn’t.”

“It’s psychic paper. As its holder, I can will it say pretty much anything.”

“Counterfeit money?”

“I may be mad, but I’m not a criminal.” Mingyu deadpans with a shake of the head. “Fake badges.”

“So different.” Jisoo rolls his eyes. “Impersonating an officer of the law.”

“Hey, for all you know I could have founded this country’s police force. Where do you think I got this Korean name?”

“Your parents…?”

“ _No_ ,” Mingyu says. “Dangun Wanggeom, himself.”

“Who?”

“The founder of the first Korean Kingdom," Mingyu cries out hoplessly. "Don’t be so dense.”

“I was born and raised in the States," Jisoo huffs, adjusting the strings of his windbreaker. "Sorry for not knowing this minor detail.”

“He’s rolling in his grave as we speak.”

“Gross...” Jisoo frowns. “Let’s go see some marine life before I lose interest.”

“Just like one of those cursed _Carassius auratus_.”

“English.”

Mingyu groans.

“ _Goldfish_.”

“Oh,” Jisoo snorts, pulling out his phone. “Right.”

Mingyu shakes his head and takes the lead once more. The line leading to the aquarium’s entrance isn't as large as it could be, he assumed considering that most were still in school.

“While we're waiting,” Mingyu starts, twirling the psychic paper between his fingers. “Tell me about yourself.”

Jisoo looks up from his phone. The look on his face is one of utter confusion.

“What?” Mingyu snaps defensively. “What's the point of me taking on companions if I learn nothing from them at all?”

The human rolls his eyes, his attention back to his phone. Mingyu is about to protest when the boy finally complies.

“Jisoo Hong. Cali born. Boston bred. Catholic. Philosophy major at Boston U,” he lists, not once looking up from his phone. “And I like superhero movies.”

“Marvel," Mingyu wonders, tapping thoughtfully against his chin. “Or DC?”

“Marvel."

“You know," Mingyu starts, feeling oddly reminiscent. “I helped Stan Lee with his first draft of Spider-Man?”

Jisoo snorts.

“Why do I find that so hard to believe?”

“I have him in my contact list!” Mingyu says loudly, earning curious glances from other patrons. “We go out for coffee every now and then.”

Jisoo shakes his head before going back to his phone.

“You kids and your technology.”

“You're acting like you don't travel in a big blue box with a handy dandy science wand in hand," Jisoo deadpans, unblinking.

“Sonic screwdriver," Mingyu corrects with a huff.

“Same difference.”

Mingyu pouts. “I have to keep it on me. You never know when it'll come in handy.”

“So is it like a weapon?”

“It's a screwdriver. I made it myself.”

“You could've made anything and you went with a screwdriver?”

“I made it with the intent to fix, not kill.”

“A pacifist," Jisoo notes, seemingly intrigued by the fact to which Mingyu shrugs.

“At times.”

Then, the line advances and they're at its front. Mingyu flips open the pad of paper and waves it in the clerk’s face.

“Kim Mingyu, Head Investigator at the Ilsan Department of Marine Biology.” he states, his Korean heavily accented with years of neglect. “My partner and I have come for a surprise inspection of the site. Unless it's a problem?”

The clerk, a young man by the name of Seungkwan, blinks at the paper.

“Uh, I guess it isn't. A problem.” Seungkwan guesses, his brows quirked. “Go right ahead.”

Mingyu nods and walks forward, paying no mind to the gleam of wonder in the clerk’s eyes as he does so.

“Just like that?” Jisoo laughs, looking back at the clerk as he walks in. “No questions asked?”

“The thing about you humans, and well most creatures actually,” Mingyu starts, pocketing the pad of paper. “Is that you never really  _look_. It's helpful to be observant.”

“I guess…” Jisoo shrugs. “So the paper… What does it really say?”

“Nothing at all.” Mingyu chirps, pulling open one of the building’s main doors. “Come along, Hong!”

“Ooh, bars.” Jisoo laughs, shaking is head as he walks in through the door Mingyu is holding open.

The Time Lord blinks at him. There are times he finds himself struggling to understand earthly humour.

“Never mind.” Jisoo snorts. “Let's go, _Doctor_.”

They enter the premises one after the other, Jisoo leading the way. The human’s eyes are filled with wonder as he gapes at the aquarium’s central exhibit. It's a tank that reaches the ceiling, filled with multicoloured species of fish.

The sight is enough to make Mingyu’s hear ache. They are sentient and undeserving of such a life, he thinks, pressing a palm against the cool surface that separated the fish from patrons.

“Enslavement,” he sighs, turning to face Jisoo who clearly doesn't share the same feeling of dread.

“Huh?” the college student hums, his eyes not once leaving the tank.

“Right,” Mingyu says dryly, looking away to scan the thinning crowd that surrounded them. It was strange considering the booming business the aquarium seemed to run barely five minutes ago. “I forgot you humans only cared for, well humans…”

“I'll have you know-”

Mingyu holds his hand up.

“Keep talking,” he prompts, walking to the entrance. By then, two thirds of the building’s visitors have disappeared. He quickens his pace.

Mingyu tries to pull the doors open, only to find that they are locked tight. He frowns. The Doctor rears his leg and aims for the door. It lands on the surface with a thud.

The door is still shut.

“What are you…” Jisoo starts, fear briefly flashing in his eyes. “What's going on?”

“I'm not sure.”

“That isn’t something that happens a lot with you, is it?” Jisoo asks, hysteria augmenting by the second. Mingyu wants to tell him to calm down一 that there isn’t enough information to deduce call foul play and that it’s likely they’re safe. “Use your thing! The wrench-”

“ _Screwdriver-_ ”

“Same difference,” Jisoo growls before throwing his hands up into his hair. The boy then crosses himself, his eyes closed. “Jeonghan and Cheol get the trip of a lifetime and I get locked inside an aquarium with an _alien_? Jesus, Joseph, and Mary…”

Mingyu snorts. “Aren’t Catholics supposed to _avoid_ saying that?”

“I’m _stressed_!”

“Keep it down!” Mingyu hisses.

“Not until you get us the fuck out of here, you… _you_ …” he trails off. “ _God,_  you’re so… _Ugh_!”

“My sentiments exactly.”

The voice comes out of nowhere. It sends a wave of chills down Mingyu’s spine as his grip tightens on his screwdriver. Jisoo gets on his knees and clasps his hands in prayer.

And while Mingyu _is_ startled, he isn’t scared per se. He recognizes the voice一 knows its owner all too well. It’s the voice he’s spent the last century or so running _away_ from. In that very moment, he wants nothing more than to keep doing so. He begins to wonder just how long it would take for him to get out of the aquarium and he listens to her high-heeled steps near him.

He looks down at Jisoo, whose body rocks back and forth as he mutters incoherently.

“Seulgi,” he says, turning to face her.

There stands Seulgi Kang in all her crimson lipped glory, left hand loosely wrapped around a leather bound notebook. She smiles at the two and it's enough to send Mingyu reeling at the thoughts of every moment shared between the them. Jisoo cracks an eye open as the woman waves, saying一

“Hello, _my love._ ”

 


	3. The Boy in the Box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally finished editing this chapter! hope you like it :)

“ _Hello, my love._ ”

Jisoo just about freezes at the far-too-affectionate greeting. His eyes dart to Mingyu, hoping that they radiate even a sliver of the disdain that bubbles up inside of him.

 _Of course the Doctor is acquainted with her_ , he thinks as he shakes his head angrily. However, he considers for a brief moment, if the look she gives him is anything to go by, they could be so much more than just that.

“Seulgi…” Mingyu all but _chokes_.

The Gallifreyan takes a tentative step back. Jisoo, on the other hand, sees red; crimson like the colour of Seulgi’s form fitting dress.

“ _You two know each other_ ?” he cries, pocketing the rosary that he'd been clutching only a few moments before. He stands, frantically getting up off the dusty floor before jabbing an accusatory finger in Mingyu’s direction. “We haven’t even been here for five minutes and this shit happens _?_ Can’t you get better friends?”

Mingyu gasps, the sounds echoing throughout the vacant space.

“We are  _not_ friends,” the Doctor huffs, insulted by the assumption.

In all honestly, Jisoo finds it absurd that Mingyu even expects him to feel any shame at the deduction when the chemistry shared between the two is one that could not go unnoticed to even the most oblivious person on earth.

Jisoo hears Seulgi take a step towards the two and swivels to meet her eyes. The contact is blinding.

“The Doctor and I go way back,” Seulgi explains, her melodic timbre carrying throughout the air. She turns to Mingyu. “Don't we, sweetie?”

Jisoo can only watch as Mingyu visibly stiffens. The Doctor’s cheeks are flushed. The sonic screwdriver violently wails in his hand, almost like it’s in tune with the whirlwind of emotions the Gallifreyan is experiencing.

“You know that's not true.” Mingyu says almost painfully. Despite his evident rage, he doesn't move from where he stands at the aquarium’s entrance. Mingyu sighs. “At least not entirely.”

Seulgi chuckles, brandishing the leather bound book that sits in her manicured hand.

“It's what happens when you keep showing up out of order, love.”

Jisoo frowns. The entire exchange has done absolutely nothing to ease his confusion. In fact, the frustration he feels in his soul is the same as what he felt _before_ she waltzed into the aquarium.

“What are you even saying?” he chirps, throwing his hands up in desperation. “Are either of you going to explain the situation to me?”

Mingyu’s shoulders drop.

“My past, her future.” He explains with an absent minded wave of the hand.

“Vice versa,” Seugli adds, her gaze still fixed on Mingyu’s solemn form.

Jisoo moves closer to Mingyu, his eyes trained on the mysterious woman as he does so.

“Are you two…?” he wonders, trailing off. The tension in the air is as thick as a steel cable.

“No,” Mingyu snaps, teeth gritted. It's then that he finally moves from his place, choosing instead to take a step towards Jisoo. “We aren't _anything_!”

“Okay,” Jisoo chuckles, taking a step back. “Let’s keep it cool.”

“Oh sweetie,” Seulgi chimes in, tucking a piece of dark hair behind her left ear. “You know better than to lie.” She turns to Jisoo, a knowing smile plastered on her ruby red lips. “The Doctor and I are _very_ good friends.”

“I can tell,” Jisoo grumbles, leaning against the tank. He shifts his gaze to the pouting Doctor. “So tell me: do all your _very good friends_ dabble in the art of abducting innocent bystanders? I mean, where the _fuck_ are all the people who came in here with us, lady?”

His words are laced with venom, a fact that Mingyu is observant enough to take in, for the Gallifreyan opens his mouth to speak. Seulgi stops him with a raised index finger.

“Young man,” she begins, taking a confident stride in his direction. Jisoo can’t suppress the gulp that assaults his throat as he looks into her dark eyes. “I'll have you know that they were nothing more than holographic projections.”

“Oh,” Jisoo snorts. “Even better, you’re a manipulative lunatic-”

Mingyu sighs. “ _Hong_.”

“No, he’s right.” Seulgi says, stopping Mingyu. “Well, about the manipulative part, at least.”

Jisoo’s ears perk up at her words.

What can he say? He loves being told he’s right.

“I orchestrated this entire thing,” Seulgi admits evenly with a nonchalance that Jisoo aspires to adopt some day.

“You…” Mingyu starts. Though his words falter just as quickly as they’d left his lips.

“Leading you here, the TARDIS malfunctioning…” she continues, locking eyes with the Gallifreyan. “It was all me.”

At this confession, Jisoo glances in his companion’s direction. He can see the man’s features darken considerably as he takes a step towards the woman.

“ _You did that to her?_ ”

Even while in the face of pure rage, Seulgi smiles.

“Please,” she laughs quietly, casually crossing her arms. “She’s fine. I would _never_ harm her. And I had to home in on your trajectory somehow.”

Mingyu shakes his head. “But _why_?”

She takes a step closer.

“I needed your help, sweetie.”

Mingyu flinches at the pet name.

“Stop it-” he growls, only to be cut off.

“ _We_ need your help,” she reveals, looking down at her hands.

Mingyu blinks, taken aback. “We?”

“Great!” Jisoo exclaims, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “There's more of her.”

“Settle down, Hong,” Mingyu hisses, snapping his fingers, to which Jisoo can’t help but pout. “Who's _we_?”

“You’ll see,” she says smoothly, resting a hand on Mingyu’s clothed forearm. “ _After_ you lead me to them, that is.”

“No,” Mingyu pleads, almost _whining_. “Tell me now!”

“Oh, sweetie,” she coos, stroking his cheek. Mingyu reddens. “How cute.”

Jisoo stifles a laugh. The sound seems to get her attention, for she lets out a laugh of her own and winks.

“Now, let’s go,” she quips, straightening her impeccable posture. “Time is of the essence.”

Jisoo watches her turn with the click of her heels against the tiled flooring. Mingyu stays in his place, still as red as ever. Jisoo laughs into a closed fist.

“Are you going to do as she says, or…?” he teases curiously.

“Absolutely not!” Mingyu scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

“Mingyu!” Seulgi singsongs from the aquarium’s entrance.

Jisoo raises a brow, the smirk not once leaving his lips as he watches Mingyu huff before following his _good friend._

“Whipped.”

“Who’s this?” Jeonghan questions, stopping Jisoo in his tracks once they’re all aboard the TARDIS.

Seungcheol nods, wanting an answer just as much as his boyfriend. Their eyes are all trained on the newest addition to their “crew” as she swiftly mans the machine’s controls.

Mingyu grudgingly watches on in a corner. The sight is and always will be an entertaining one, Jisoo thinks.

“The Doctor has a girlfriend he never told us about,” he laughs, patting Mingyu on the shoulder when he joins him in his corner of sulking.

“Girlfriend?” Seungcheol giggles, his eyes wide.

“She’s  _not_ ,” Mingyu snaps, but the rosiness of his cheeks betrays him.

“She totally is,” Jisoo presses, cutting Mingyu off with a knowing grin. “You should’ve seen it. She has him wrapped around her little finger.”

“You’ve got it all wrong,” Mingyu huffs as he stands, sounding more like a five year old child than a 900 year old man. He turns to Seulgi. “And _you!_ ”

“Me?” She smirks, looking up from the central console. Jisoo can literally _feel_ the sexual tension between them.

“ _You._ ” Mingyu growls. “What are you even doing?”

“Landing,” Seulgi smiles, stepping away from the console.

“But…” Mingyu frowns, his eyes quickly darting to the control system.

It blips with light every now and then, but make no sound at all. It reminds Jisoo of an electric car.

“But?” Seulgi queries, head cocked. Her eyes burn with someone fierce.

“She didn’t do the thing,” Mingyu pouts, playing with a knob towards the edge of the console.

Seulgi narrows her eyes in confusion.

“I think he means the, uh...” Jisoo starts, snapping his fingers from where he sits on a very comfortable space chair. “The wheezing. You know?”

He follows by mimicking the mechanical wheeze the machine had made not too long ago when they had first travelled to Jeju.

Seulgi laughs.

“She’s not _actually_ supposed to do that,” she explains, shaking her head. “The _Doctor_ , here, just leaves the brakes on.”

Mingyu huffs, crossing his arms angrily. “I like it when she does that.”

“Absolutely adorable,” Seulgi proclaims, a small hand resting on his right cheek. She gives it a light pat before going back to landing the blue box.

“ _Absolutely adorable_ ,” Jeonghan snorts, pausing his hand from where it sits in Seungcheol’s hair.

“The _cutest_ ,” Jisoo coos, walking up to Mingyu with confidence.

Mingyu looks down at him, unimpressed.

“I will send you home,” Mingyu threatens, jabbing Jisoo in the chest. The latter is unfazed.

Hell, the smile on his face even widens at the empty threat.

“You wouldn’t,” he singsongs, leaning forward. “I’m your favourite out of the three of us.”

“Hey!” Seungcheol pouts, sitting up.

“About that,” Mingyu huffs. “I’m starting to think the lovebirds over there are my favourites. Even if they are sickening.”

This time, it’s Jeonghan that frowns. “ _Hey!_ ”

“He’s not wrong,” Jisoo laughs, leaning against the console. Jeonghan shoots him a glare. “But without us, you’d be stuck with Seulgi. Alone. And as much as I like her, I don’t think leaving the two of you would be such a good idea.”

And he isn’t lying. There's something about their chemistry that just screams of volatile to him.  He can’t quite put his finger on what it is but he can see it with every glance shared between the two. It’s overwhelming.

“Fine,” Mingyu huffs again, running both hands through his abnormally tangled auburn hair. “I’ll play nice.”

“Good boy,” Seulgi praises, her eyes mischievous.

Jisoo wonders where in God’s name she came from.

Mingyu sighs audibly before peering into one of the many monitors adorning the console.

“We’re here?” he wonders loudly, tapping one of the screens.

“Already?” Jisoo wonders in surprise. “You’re quick.”

Seulgi chuckles. “So I’ve been told.”

“Okay,” Mingyu coughs, eyeing her. “Enough.”

Jisoo opens his mouth to protest and tell Mingyu that their exchange had been nothing _but_ innocent when Jeonghan cuts in.

“Where is _here_ , anyways?”

“Planet Niloufar…” Mingyu gasps. The sound is one dramatic enough that Jisoo freezes.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Seungcheol notes nervously.

“It really isn’t,” Mingyu admits before turning to Seulgi. “We shouldn’t be here. You know that. Why-”

“What’s going on,” Jisoo cuts in, walking closer to the monitor.

He sees nothing but ruins that almost resemble those in Athens.

“This planet was deemed unauthorized by the Queen, herself,” Mingyu explains, his eyes not once leaving hers. “Its people are pacifists, they've done nothing to merit an invasion of sorts!”

“Invasion?” she nearly barks, stepping closer to Mingyu. The latter looks like he would like nothing more than to take a step back. “They _asked_ for our assistance before they…”

She falters, looking away from Mingyu and into the navigation monitor.

“Before they what, Seulgi?” Mingyu pleads.

“They were almost completely wiped out,” she says with great difficulty before looking back into Mingyu’s eyes.

“Seulgi…” Mingyu mutters, his tone incredulous. “There's no way…”

“The clock is ticking,” she says sadly, breaking eye contact with Mingyu. She turns the his companions, Jisoo included. “Let's go.”

The heel clad woman makes her way out of the blue box, leading the way. Jisoo stays behind as he watches Seungcheol follow her lead, Jeonghan in tow.

The philosophy major faces the Doctor.

“You good?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No,” Mingyu admits, shaking his head. “I most certainly am _not_ good.”

The Gallifreyan straightens his jacket and clears his throat.

“But…” Jisoo prompts, leaning against the console once more.

“But, there is very little sulking can do,” Mingyu continues, giving his hair a little shake. “Let's go.”

Mingyu makes his way towards the TARDIS’ exit and Jisoo leads the way, his crucifix suddenly cool from where it lies on the chest.

He notes the immediate change in atmosphere as he steps out of the box and into the pristine white room that surrounds them.

“This is Niloufar?” he wonders aloud, eyeing the matching white monitors that adorn the walls. He watches as people of _all_ colours mill in and out of the room in a haste.

None of it looks planetary to him and neither does it resemble what he’d seen in the monitor.

“Close enough,” a booming voice says. Jisoo looks up in confusion, its source invisible to him. “This is the Andromeda II.”

“We’re only stationed above the ruins of Niloufar,” Seulgi explains from where she stands. She is now wearing a lab coat over her red dress.

“That makes more sense,” he nods, his eyes still scanning the room for the man who had spoken to him. “What even happened?”

“It’s our job to find out,” the voice says again, though this time, it speaks directly in his ear.

“What the…” Jisoo whirls around to find a man almost as tall as him smiling at him like an old friend. He takes a tentative step back.

“Captain Hansol Choi,” the man, seeming to be no younger than himself, says. “Welcome aboard.”

The Captain holds out his right hand. Jisoo looks down at the calloused hand and back to its weirdly handsome owner.

“Jisoo Hong,” he says taking the hand into his own. “Or Joshua. Really, it’s up to you.”

At that, Hansol cracks a smile. Jisoo is left hoping that his cheeks are in their natural non-flushed state.

“If _he’s_ here,” Mingyu starts, his head tilted downward as he thinks. His head snaps back upright, facing Seulgi. “You’ve been working with Torchwood?”

The woman only nods.

“Nice to see you too, Mingyu.” Hansol laughs, his hand still gripping onto Jisoo’s. Their eyes are _still_ locked and Jisoo feels like dying.

He can feel Jeonghan’s eyes on his back and abruptly lets go with an awkward chuckle.

“You haven’t aged a day,” Mingyu notes as Hansol crosses the room, his arms wide. He pulls a reluctant Mingyu into his arms.

“Neither have you,” Hansol observes, looking into Mingyu’s narrowed eyes. “ _Old Man_.”

“Touchy, isn’t he?” Jeonghan reckons loudly, earning the man’s attention. “I’m Jeonghan.”

Seungcheol introduces himself from where he stands at his boyfriend’s side.

“It really is nice to meet you all,” Hansol admits with yet another smile. It seems honest enough to Jisoo. “You know, despite everything.”

“What exactly is _everything_?” Jisoo wonders, glancing at a bright pink woman who’d just brushed past him with a clipboard in hand.

He watches her approach Seulgi with said clipboard.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Hansol sighs, walking towards the cluster of monitors in the centre of the room. He points to one of the screens depicting what must be all that’s left of the civilisation. “ _This_ is what we got here to. Many, _many_ casualties. Only a few thousand of them left compared to the millions they had before. We did our best to generate enough power to keep the city's hospital running. The more critical cases were brought onto the ship, but….”

“But?” Mingyu prompts, stepping closer to the monitors.

“The storm wasn’t all that hit them,” Hansol explains, leaning forward to take a closer look at the closest monitor. It depicts the same scene Jisoo had witnessed aboard the TARDIS.

“What do you mean?” Mingyu frowns, doing the same as Hansol.

“There have been sightings.” Seulgi explains grimly as she signs the clipboard.

“Of?” Seungcheol asks, stepping away from Jeonghan.

“Angels.” Hansol says quietly.

Jisoo’s eyes widen, as expected of the Catholic man and lover of theology that he happens to be.

“Like _angels_?” he asks, suddenly excited.

“That can't be…” Mingyu gapes, completely ignoring his question.

Jisoo huffs as Seulgi steps towards the monitor next to him.

“We have one in custody,” she relays, looking up at the city’s ruins.

Jisoo watches Mingyu’s face go from shocked to worried in the matter of seconds. “You know how dangerous that is!”

“Don’t worry, it’s only the footage of one in custody,” she says evenly. She turns to Hansol. “Captain.”

Hansol brushes past Jisoo to get to the second biggest monitor in the room. He watches the captain fiddle with a remote before settling on a grainy video of a stone statue. Jisoo cocks his head to the side in confusion.

“It's a statue.” he deadpans with a snort as he eyes the short clip. Five short seconds of the stone statue doing nothing but covering its unmoving eyes. Jisoo would even go as far as saying that it’s weeping.

“It's an Angel,” Mingyu corrects with an adamant shake of his head.

“But-”

“Where did you get this footage from?” Mingyu cuts him off completely, looking over Jisoo’s shoulder to look at Seulgi.

“The central marketplace by one of the catacomb entrances,” she explains, pointing at the monitor. “That’s where it used to be before our cameras completely shut off.”

“It’s a blessing we even have this footage,” Hansol laughs, nudging Jisoo as he brushes past him once more. Jisoo flushes. “That way we know where it should be. And it knows that we know.”

Seungcheol whines from his newfound place on the floor, where he sits cross legged. “I’m confused.”

“It’s just stone,” Jisoo mutters, scratching his head. With the excitement gone, he can’t find it in himself to wrap his head around this entire situation.

“ _Just stone_?” Mingyu spits, his tone exasperated to the point where Jisoo has to take a step back. He almost bumps into Seulgi in the process. “The Weeping Angels are easily the most dangerous creatures in this universe.”

“Please elaborate,” Jeonghan pleads, speaking on the behalf of all the regular humans on the Andromeda II.

“Think of it this way,” Hansol starts, brandishing a clipboard. “They’re only stone when you see ‘em.”

Jisoo nods. “And when you don’t?”

“Bad things.” the captain smiles, almost completely nonchalant.

Jeonghan blinks up at that captain with a horrified expression that almost completely matches Seungcheol’s.

“Where do _I_ come into the equation?” Mingyu asks, his stance a more confident one, Jisoo notes. “What do you need me to do?”

“Since you’re the only person in our records proficient enough in Niloufari, we need you to decipher these notes left behind by the King. We need to find out exactly how this happened.”

Seulgi hands Mingyu a leather bound journal. Jisoo tries to ignore the lingering of their fingers as they meet across the book’s surface. He covers a laugh with a cough.

“You’ll _also_ be accompanying me down to the ruins,” she adds with a strained smile. Mingyu frowns.

“You want me to what?”

“We need to neutralize the Angel,” Hansol pipes up.

Jisoo looks between the two. He can’t place his finger on the energy between the two. He can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, they were a little more than just business partners. That is, _if_ the look in Hansol’s eyes is anything to go by.

_How many lovers does this guy have?_

“You three,” Mingyu snaps, pointing at his three companions and successfully pulling Jisoo away from his painful reverie. “In the TARDIS. Now.”

“Fine by me,” Jeonghan scoffs before pulling his boyfriend up. The two walk back into the blue box without another word, leaving Jisoo behind with a bunch of Space Avengers.

Mingyu glares at him.

“You too, Hong.”

Jisoo laughs, walking towards Mingyu. “And miss out on all the fun? I don’t think so.”

“This isn’t a joke” Mingyu lectures urgently, brandishing the book in his hands. “You could die.”

“Hey,” Jisoo shrugs, with the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “I came here for an adventure and I’m getting it.”

Mingyu splutters for a moment, struggling to find words to counter him. The Gallifreyan settles for a shaky:

“Don’t you have a novena to be completing, or something?”

“Finished it last weekend,” Jisoo smirks, playing with the crucifix on his chest. “ _Doctor_.”

“ _Fine_ ,” Mingyu huffs, shaking his head.

“I won’t disappoint,” Jisoo whoops, raising a fist in victory. “I promise.”

“But,” Mingyu urges pointedly. “If anything goes South, you’re back in the TARDIS.”

“Don’t worry about him, Mingyu,” Hansol cuts in, placing a firm grip on Jisoo’s left shoulder. “I happen to have a special job for him.”

Mingyu stills. “Hansol.”

“What?” the Captain sasses with a raised brow. “I’ll keep him safe.”

Mingyu’s eyes narrow.

“I won’t hit on him, okay?” Hansol chuckles, stepping away from the two of them. Jisoo doesn’t miss the wink Hansol shoots his way as he steps out of the white room and into the equally white hallway.

“I kinda like him,” Jisoo shrugs, following Hansol’s lead.

Mingyu sighs. “They all do.”

Jisoo has to hold in his laugh as he steps into the hallway and rushes to catch up with the flirtatious captain. The man in question is leaning against a section of the seemingly endless hallway with a lazy smirk gracing his features. His arms are crossed over his chest, further highlighting the size of his biceps.

“You ready?” he asks, straightening up. The captain holds out his hand. There is a small blue hard drive lying in his open palm.

Jisoo eyes it, not quite knowing where this exchange is going. But in reality, there isn’t much he can do to change the fact that this is real life, and that said life is confusing as hell. Real life had men that time traveled in police boxes, monsters made of stone, and overzealous space cadets.

Life is confusing as ever, but Jisoo is loving it.

He takes the hard drive.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”


End file.
